In the End

07: No Matter How Much You Want To

“Didn’t you want to go tonight?” Adrian asked as he padded into Ariella’s living room, settling a pizza box down on the coffee table which sat in front of the television. It had been a surprise to him, with Barcelona due to play their first home match of the new league season, he had fully been expecting that Ariella would be keen to head to the stadium to support them, and he was surprised that she hadn’t gone, even if he was looking forwards to spending the evening with her. He had thought that it was something which meant a lot to her.

Ariella, who was quietly sipping on a glass of lemonade, shook her head. She had thought about it, going to the first home match of the season was something she’d done each year that she had been back in the Catalan city, but she had decided against it, not wanting to encroach on the space that Gerard had asked for from her. She knew that it was for the best, with things being as they were between the two of them, she knew that spending time away from one another was likely to be good for them both, and whilst the idea of the two of them no longer talking stuck in her throat, she didn’t want to push it, wanting to allow Gerard the time and space that he needed to try and get over the way things had fallen apart between them.

“I thought about it” she mused “But I figured I could watch it just as well from here. Why, did you want to go?” she posed.

Adrian, who’d settled into the seat at her side, shook his head, a boyish smile on his face. “No” he mused “But I thought you would. Don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining about the idea of us having a quiet night in together, but I thought, with your friends, the first match of the season would be one that you’d not like to miss. It’s a big deal, isn’t it?” he added as he leant forwards, collecting a piece of pizza from the box.

Ariella mimicked his action, collecting a piece of pizza for herself before she nodded. “It is” she mused “After the super cup disaster, it’s even more important this year, but I...I decided not to go. Gerard and I...” she stumbled out.

Adrian tilted his head. “Gerard and you?” he posed.

Ariella hesitated for a moment, letting his question hang between them, before she shook her head, her eyes not moving away from her hands. “We’re not exactly talking right now” she mumbled.

“You’re not?” Adrian asked, the tone of his voice slightly hard to place. There was no denying that it had bothered him, when Ariella had first explained that she and Gerard had been together and that they were still friends despite their breakup, it had worried him that there was still something between the two of them, and whilst he knew that the defender meant a lot to this girlfriend, he couldn’t deny that a small part of him was relieved that they seemed to not be as close any more, even if it was slightly selfish of him. He couldn’t help but think that, without Gerard around, things would be easier for him and Ariella.

Ariella shook her head. “He came by the other day” she mumbled “He said that it was hard for him, that us trying to be friends was hard on him, and he asked me for some space, something I am going to give to him” she explained, her voice quiet and soft.

Adrian watched her for a moment, not missing the tone of her voice, before he gently leant across, tucking a few loose strands of dark hair behind her ear. “I’m sorry” he mumbled gently.

Ariella shook her head before she looked up, meeting his eyes. “You don’t have to say that” she murmured “My friendship with Gerard was pretty much over the moment I... I broke up with him. It was stupid to think that we could just pretend that that never happened and go on like we’d been before” she added, her voice faltering slightly at the mention of the breakup.

Adrian lightly skimmed his thumb over her cheekbone before he quirked a soft smile, moving to press a sweet kiss against her forehead. “I know you care about him” he mumbled, leaning back ever so slightly “And I know that the idea of taking some kind of break from your friendship is going to suck, but...I think he has a point. You guys were close, you spent a couple of years as friends, and then half a year as something more than that, and I don’t think you can just go back to being friends and forget that the more than friends part happened too, no matter how much you want to. You guys...you had sex, you said ‘I love you’ to each other, and there’s no way you can pretend that you didn’t. You loved him, Ella, and he loved you, and you both need to take some time to try and get past that and accept that something you thought was going to work out, didn’t” he added, pressing another tender kiss against her warm skin.

He knew that she had feelings for the defender, whenever he tended to come up in conversation, there was a look in Ariella’s eyes that was clearly intended just for him, and whilst Adrian knew that it was likely to take a while for her to forget all of the feelings that she had for the defender, he was hopeful that she could, even if it wasn’t a fast process. He was hopeful that she would be successful in getting over Gerard and making a go of things with him.

Ariella closed her at the feel of his lips against her skin, allowing a quiet moment to pass between the two of them, before she nodded her head, a quiet sigh slipping out of her mouth. “You’re probably right” she mumbled.

Adrian smiled against her skin. “It does happen from time to time” he quipped impishly.

Ariella laughed gently before she looked up, mirroring his grey eyes with her blues. “I’m sorry” she murmured “I mean, tonight is about the two of us and I am sitting here, talking about....”

“About someone who meant a lot to you” Adrian finished for her “I don’t mind” he added with a nonchalant shrug.

Ariella quirked an eyebrow, wordlessly asking him if he was sure.

Adrian chuckled. “I don’t want this to become a frequent occurrence” he quipped, half teasingly “I don’t want to spend all of our dates talking about your amazing footballer ex-boyfriend, but if you do need someone to just talk things through with every once in a while, I’d be happy to do that. I know that you loved him, Ella, and I know that that was a big deal for you and that you’re still hurting, so if you need to talk things over, I’m here for you. I just don’t want to spend all of my time hearing how great he was” he added, a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth.

Ariella admired the soft grin on his face for a moment before she quirked one of her own, something which caused Adrian to cup her cheek, his thumb lightly skimming over the corner of her lips. “There’s that smile I like so much” he mused gently.

Ariella blushed, causing Adrian to let out a soft laugh before he leant into her, pressing a soft kiss against her lips. He knew that she wasn’t completely over Gerard, the way that she was when she spoke about the defender spoke volumes, but he was hopeful that she would get there. He was hopeful that they’d figure out how to make something work between the two of them.
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Thanks to mslou1, Jayme112234 and FootieJo for the comments :)